Just as a lot of people are walking away from franchise ownership, seems there is a new movement to walk away from the stranglehold banks have over consumers. I’ve been watching this movement and it seems to be gaining a fair bit of momentum. Perhaps the banks will realize that ridiculous interest rates, not lending money and horrid customer service just aren’t the way to run a business. I’ve been shopping for a new bank since the beginning of the year. I think the local Credit Union might be way to go.

Make a New Year’s resolution to move your money out of big banks? To that I say: Right on! Without question, financial consumers are angry at — and have lost their loyalty to — big banks. Late-night comics routinely make fun of the banks; there’s even a new iPhone app in which players try to stop "cash-hungry" bankers from wheedling more bailout money from the U.S. Treasury, according to a recent report in American Banker newspaper.